Pros:
- Fun layout! Playing through a fairly expansive, well-utilized park, this course is a great place to introduce new players to the game. Add to that the quirky, almost disingenuous pars assigned to the various holes and you've got yourself a challenge that appeals to all-comers, regardless of experience. Though it's 18 holes but only ten baskets, the back-and-forth layout really makes it seem like you're playing to a different pin. It offers long bombs, tight shots, subtle but seemingly complicated elevation changes, compelling (if not intimidating) water shots, and lines that will make you utilize every tool (and possibly every disc) in your bag. Between par 2's and the #17 "ace par" hole, you'll be hard-pressed to find another course that doesn't frustrate you, inspire you, exasperate you, and motivate you to come back and do better. Yes, it borders on the ridiculous (especially #17), but therein lies the fun.

- Great atmosphere! Springtown really did an awesome job incorporating all the various aspects of a community park into one cohesive unit. It's got pavilions, horseshoe pits, walking/jogging trails, shallow waters to explore, custom benches made out of fallen trees, soccer fields, horseback riding, and plenty of activities to keep even the most jaded, spoiled kid entertained for hours. In short, even the kid who has it all will find something to keep himself occupied with at this park.

- Excellent signage/Superb navigation. Gives distance, par (such as it is), and location to the next tee on every hole. It'd be hard for even a first-time player to not be able to find his way to the next hole.

- Outstanding equipment. New baskets and concrete teepads offer forgiving targets and no-slip tees to maximize your experience and increase your accuracy. In short, you can't blame the gear for a high score. There's also plenty of parking in several locations offering different starting points for your round.

Cons:
- WARNING: Dangerous. That's the biggest (and only real) beef I have with this course. Though it isn't exactly "ten pounds of $hit in a five pound bag," the layout is potentially a serious hazardous to non-disc golfers. The walking/jogging trail runs along several of the holes, and some of the fairway lines cross directly with (if not directly through) potentially well-populated areas such as picnic pavilions and horseshoe pits. When I was playing #6 there was a family reunion of sorts grilling at one of the pavilions and several young kids were playing football directly to the right of the fairway, easily within anyone's reach with a disc. I had to play ultra-conservative to avoid even coming close to hitting them. On a busy day - however busy this park in a town like Springtown gets - theses lines could almost be considered irresponsible. A chucker who lacks self-awareness could give us all a bad name with an errant shot on this course. In short, be very, VERY careful on this course.

- Though I said it's a pro, some people might find the pars on this hole a little preposterous. I'd never seen a par 2 before, but some of the courses I've played are almost too easy as a par 3 so it's not out of the question. Nevertheless, a 180' ace for a "par"? Wow. And even if you par'd that, would it be considered an "ace?" I'm gonna need a judge's ruling on that one. (Though personally I'd count it.)

- No topless Hooters girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.

Other Thoughts:
All in all, Springtown West is a short, quaint, charming little course that has enough intrigue to make even the most jaded chucker want to take a consistent run at it. I'm giving it a 3 because of its toughness based on the par numbers, but it would be a 3.5 (and gunning for a 4) if it didn't have such blatant possibilities for vexatious litigation. Some may call the course "gimmicky" and they might not be wrong, but it definitely isn't your run-of-the-mill pitch-and-putt, if only because of how it's intended to be played. For a po-dunk little town in east Texas it damn sure isn't boring. I wish more designers had this kind of chutzpah. It might not (probably won't) make it into your favorites, but you could do a lot worse. Springtown is worth a look.

Pros: -fun layout that makes good use of the land available
-creek in play, some minor elevation, and a few tight wooded shots
-the alternate looks at the same baskets are actually pretty different
-good variety of open/trees, short/long
-great new discatchers

Cons: -walking trails throughout with lots of pedestrians
-picnic tables, walking trails, benches, and a parking lot in the fairways
-no signs yet and some tee areas are not cleared/flat/safe
-finding the park can be odd, the location is strange due to some construction, just remember to turn into the lot before the Wells Fargo

Other Thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by this course as I was expecting your typical doinky little small town course in a city park. What I found instead was a well-thought layout that makes really great use of the limited resources of this odd little park, despite some obvious safety concerns that will almost certainly require adjustments in the future.

The park stretches back into a surprisingly large space surrounded by residential areas. Walking trails enter the park from various directions and neighborhoods. A creek winds throughout and comes into play on 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, & 18. You have to throw across the creek on 2, 7, 12, & 18. Some minor elevation comes in on a few holes as well as some park amenities: fence at the baseball field (holes 4/14), horseshoe pits (holes 5/13). Also a parking lot on hole 9 and various walking trails and park tables and benches throughout. I can see hole 5 getting a mando forcing you around the right side of the horseshoe pits but then it puts tee 14 in the fairway.

A note about the basket configuration, the following holes share the same baskets:
1/18, 2/17, 3/16, 4/14, 5/13, 6/12, 7/11, 8/10
After playing hole 3, you will see basket 15 off to the left. Tee 4 is ahead to the right and shoots toward the basket next to the fence of the baseball field. After playing hole 8, follow the trail ahead and you will see the basket for 9 off to the left. The tee for 9 is past the far end of the parking lot off the to left, shooting back toward the basket. Then play the back the other direction from the other pads you've seen marked along the way.

Overall, a very fun course with a few serious holes. Safety concerns may become an issue here but I imagine the idea is that the pads are temporary until an optimal layout is decided. This course makes a nice pair along with the new course in Azle and the drive from Ft. Worth is not bad at all.

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